See How Mosquitoes Use Stealth to Steal Your Blood

October 23, 2017—Mosquitoes have a light touch when they take flight, which makes them harder to be noticed by their victims. Researchers from UC Berkeley and the Netherlands' Wageningen University observed super-slow motion footage that provided details in the body movements of mosquitoes, along with similarly-sized fruit flies. Mosquitoes start flapping very slightly sooner than do fruit flies, and at a faster rate. Most of their power for lift-off is therefore coming from their wings. Fruit flies, in contrast, push off more forcefully than mosquitoes with their legs. An animal providing a blood meal is less likely to notice a mosquito's takeoff. That gives extra time for a getaway before a host can swat it down. READ: How Mosquitoes Use Stealth to Steal Your Blood

See How Mosquitoes Use Stealth to Steal Your Blood

October 23, 2017—Mosquitoes have a light touch when they take flight, which makes them harder to be noticed by their victims. Researchers from UC Berkeley and the Netherlands' Wageningen University observed super-slow motion footage that provided details in the body movements of mosquitoes, along with similarly-sized fruit flies. Mosquitoes start flapping very slightly sooner than do fruit flies, and at a faster rate. Most of their power for lift-off is therefore coming from their wings. Fruit flies, in contrast, push off more forcefully than mosquitoes with their legs. An animal providing a blood meal is less likely to notice a mosquito's takeoff. That gives extra time for a getaway before a host can swat it down. READ: How Mosquitoes Use Stealth to Steal Your Blood